Windshield scraper



Jan 2, 1951 J. RoJAKovlcK 2,536,311

WINDSHIELD SCRAPER Filed Aug. 4, 1947 Patented Jan. 2, 1951 PAT ENT 0F FICE v .Ipseph RI )jakovick, lChicago, Ill., vassigner .to

Er-own & -fiselow I St- Paul., Minnf, a ,corrom- Application August 4, 1947,'SerialNo. 765,859

My fnvention relates itc an ximproved -Windshield .scraper @which fcanbe clasped to an autemobile `s-.un visor .for -other projection so as to .rbc readily available for use.

,Anirnportant-obiectfiof thesinventicnistopfovide .a `cvinrlsllield Scraper having a :sha-rp l edge Ytofscrape-off snow-'oriceginfwhichtheehandleemay valsonerfonnthefuncticnofaclasp wherebyathe device may v'be easilyattached toga lsun :visor 'or other '.structurewwhereit Yfis in :plain viewof the operator, and 'fromnwhichiitrmavfbe easily @removed for ruse :and easily yreplaced so as to be readilyavailableffor :further use.

Anotherl obj ect-of thefinventionf is .Ito ,f provide-a windshield scraper which maybe @manufactured at very low cost, and which provides a; s pace for an.: advertiser.s lfnameforfslogan, and which :thereforefcansbe :gi-ven away-as an advertising novelty tvithlittle expense.

fAfsecond :f 013m of fthe 1. invention-carries out the obects falready idf-:scribedy and fsalSO -PIOVdQS :a Wiper or. squeegeetwherebyvvatergand-dirtmaybe removed 1from ana-utomobile ,'WindShield Las lwell asiice and snow.

:Inthecaccomnanvngdrawings illustrating :the 1;.

invention:

.-Fig. r1 'a rpersnetive rview fof smv imprcved scraper, looking Afat :the :scraper `side Qf `.the 11device, and illustrating the relationship{ofthe-handle-and clasp;

Fig. 2 is a front plan view of the improved scraper, illustrating the-clasp portion in dotted lines, fandfshowine particularly .the-Space on my device for a dealers name and addresapr, adver-V tising matter;

Fig. 3 is a side View of the improved scraper, illustrating the form of therhandle and clasp: and thefoutwardibendlor-.angle given to the scraper blade;

Fig.f-4 is-:a-nillustration. oflt'he manneriinfvvhich the Airriprovedscraper-is..placed onan automobile sunvisor,'illustratingthe mannertof claspingthe device and its freadyfavailabilityfor use, and also illustrating the desirable eyecatching position of ^a dealers address or advertising matter Vwhich may bei placed -on-the-w-indshield scraper;

Figf is'afront-plarr view,'`-looking at the-scraper side, of a modification of my device, on which there is also provided a squeegee for wiping or cleaning the Windshield;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the same modification of my device, partially in section, and taken along the line 6-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 7 is a rear plan view, looking at the squeegee side of the same modification of the device.

Both modifications of my device, with the exception of the squeegee itself, may be made from any material which is springy in character so as to provide a clasp for holding the device iii on an automobile sun visoras *.shownn Fig However, .PL- prefento-make-the device of v a springy plastic vmaterial because `it can be .manufactured at 7lesschst `.than of metal, fitcan be `made -invan assortment. of attractive colors,vwil1vnot ruStLfand .will be sufficiently durable for `the ydesired pur-,- pcse. .Since the device is intended -to be fgiven yawayfo-r sold for a very smallprice, it-is'fnotfe'ssential that it ybe so constructed -as fto 'have 2a useful -life `of Imore than a yfew months, ,say through -a winter season, although it may, ,of course, be made moreerdurable. Forexampleftlie scraper may be made of stainless steel` or other metal, soeasfto be practically indestructible.

The -form of the device-Which does-not include a squeegee eis -jsirnple in construction. A :iT-shaped strip `is cut, cast, or .stamped out ,pf thedesired material. rlflhe top or blade portion il! of the T is-generally rectangular and fpreferablyfabcutetwoand one-half toV4 three inches Wide and fapproximately'one to one and one-halff-inches high. I Vhave y.found that-a wider blade sis :difficult Yto use -wh'enthesnow or ice `on the Wind- Shlds very heavy, yand :anarrower blade fre,- quites too ,many strokes to lcleana Windshield.

The head 0f lthe nfl' lis preferably -rounded gradually-finto-the projecting tail or handle portion tl of the --T, particularly ,when plastic .-is used, -fas I have Jfound 'that .such .construction results Ain .appreciably feWer :fractures or ici-acking of thevmateral than does Ia s quarescutrjunc'- ture at that point. The tail f i4 lof the device is preferably just slightlyylessfthan `.twice as long as the Jolade portion le is Wide, although it can function vas desired-When itis either longer -or shorter. Vlhe-ftailte is preferablyabout an inch ide and may be of uniform width throughout its length. he tail I-lis-folde'd over` on-itself ataboutits central point longitudnallys'ofas to form faloopor bight M5 at its upper end, atfwhich point the strips t8 and 2S yare :sufficiently spaced apart that `onernay insert his'index or middle finger `readilyinthe spacebetwee'n the strips. rEhe eldest-8 and-.Edrearefsobent'thatthey gradu. aily decrease :the distance between themlmtil theyrcontact for. nearly contact each other at, a pcint;.22.about one-:half to three fourthsofan inch abovel the :free :end-'of the strip dlill),preterably slightly above the blade portion lll. The blade portion lil of the T and the free end 24 of the strip 2B diverge, commencing at about the point 22. While the degree of bend given to these portions may vary Widely 'and still obtain satisfactory results, I have round that it is desirable if they are so formed that an extension of the free end 24 to the point a, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 3, would cause the distance between the point a and the edge 26 to be about equal to the maximum width of the loop or bight I6. The resultant inclination of the blade l relative to the handle i4 makes it convenient to hold the device when using it. The free end 24 should be spaced suiciently from the blade il! that it will admit readily the edge 28 of an automobile sun visor 38.

When the device is constructed as above described, there should be a springiness in the loop I6 which will compress the strips i8 and 2D toward each other at the contact point 22 so as to grip lrmly a support, such as a sun visor, so that the scraper will not be shaken loose by reason of the vibrations and shocks occurring in the travel of an automobile.

The edge 26 of the blade ill should be formed or sharpened substantially to a knife edge throughout its width. The blade portion, it will be observed, presents a very desirable advertising surface for printing, or to which may be aflixed a label or decalcomania transfer giving the name, address, and telephone number, or other advertising matter, of a merchant, service station, or other place of business. When the scraper is clipped to a sun visor as shown in Fig. 4, such a business card or advertisement will always be within the sight of the driver and other occupants of the automobile, and it therefore has an advertising power of considerable value.

Referring now to the use of my device as a scraper, it will be observed that I have provided means for fastening it in a readily accessible position, and have provided, by the strips I8 and 20, a convenient handle for removing from or restoring the device to that position.

In using the device to scrape snow or ice from an automobile windshield, it is most convenient and ei'licient to insert the index or middle nger in the loop I6 and to apply the device to the windshield so that the knife edge 26 and the strip I8 at a point near the bight I6 contacts the windshield. The blade l0 is then at an angle at which it works effectively. Due to the resiliency of the handle part i8, the blade will cleave and pry olf large sections of thick ice from the windshield. The strip I8, Where it contacts the ice or glass, acts not only to position the blade 26 properly, but also in its movement breaks up and removes ice and snow from the windshield.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the scraper blade, handle, and clasp are substantially identical with the first form which I have described, and similar reference characters have therefore been applied to the corresponding parts. However, in this latter form, the clasp part 28 of the device is extended and widened to form another face 34 of substantially the same shape and dimensions as the blade IB. The face 34 is slightly narrower, however, than the blade l0, and does not extend quite so far from the contact point 22, as is illustrated in Fig. 6, being about three-eighths of an inch shorter in this dimension than the blade l0. Several prongs or lugs 36 are then struck out of the face 34. The

prongs 36 are bent substantially at right angles as shown at 38 and 40 in Fig. 6. Between the prongs 36 and the projecting edge portions 42 of the face 34, is inserted a strip of rubber or synthetic rubber extending the entire width of the face 34.

The free ends of prongs 36 may then be bent inwardly toward the face 34, thus tightly engaging and holding the rubber strip 44 in place. The strip 44 extends beyond the free end of the face 34 a short distance, approximately three-eighths of an inch, to serve as a useful and ecient squeegee with which water, rain, or soft snow may be quickly removed from an automobile windshield or window.

It will be observed that the strip 44 can readily be reversed or renewed, only a slight lifting of the prongs 36 being required to permit such adjustment or replacement.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I therefore desire, by the following claim, to include within the scope of the invention all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

A scraper formed of a flat piece of material bent upon itself to form a loop having two freeended leg portions of approximately the same length, the inner surface of said leg portions contacting adjacent the free ends thereof, the free ends of said leg portions being arcuated away from each other from the point of contact to space the free ends apart, and a transversely extended portion formed on each side edge of the outer end of one of said free-ended leg portions and forming with the outer transverse edge of said one free-ended leg portion an elongated transverse edge.

JOSEPH ROJAKOVICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 285,771 Turner Sept. 25, 1883 592,538 Cole Oct. 26, 1897 896,394 Kindred Aug. 18, 1908 1,261,844 Orr Apr. 9, 1918 2,280,778 Andersen Apr. 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 640,329 France Aug. 31, 1927 533,881 Germany Sept. 24, 1931 

